This handbook investigates the global rise of referendums and direct democracy as critical mechanisms for determining government policy and national sovereignty. Editors Laurence Morel and Matt Qvortrup assemble a collection of expert contributions to analyze the mechanics, legal frameworks, and political consequences of direct voting. The text evaluates how these instruments have evolved from post-colonial independence movements to contemporary debates in Scotland, Catalonia, and Ukraine. By synthesizing comparative data, the authors provide a comprehensive framework for understanding the shifting landscape of modern governance.

Experts identify this volume as a foundational reference for scholars and students of comparative politics. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose and the breadth of the international case studies provided.